The Restoration of Harry Potter
by VerelLupin
Summary: Ginny has been saved so why is Harry suffering? HPxGW Some slight G/R Rated for mild adult situations and language.
1. Separation

**Obviously this idea got a hold of me and wouldn't let go.**

**Enjoy... Reviews and such welcome. Flames are cool as I enjoy S'mores...yummm!**

**This is a sequel to The Taking of Ginny Weasley.**

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The first time he saw it was during their, what he had begun to call, experimental dates.

His thumb moved over it. It was small and insignificant, it was jagged. A half moon impression on her upper arm, really just a curiosity. He did wonder how she got it but the though was pushed away as she began to pull him forward and he blindly followed.

Sometimes, they would experiment with kissing styles. Eyes closed and noses barely touching. Butterfly and Eskimo for variety. Sometimes he would play with her lung capacity and she teased and experimented with his facial expressions.

The more serious experiments such as how they felt about each other or how much skin to skin contact was safe for his teenage mind or her greedy little hands were excluded to when they were sure to be alone for hours.

They would absconded to a rarely used storage shed. Here they would talk and kiss and talk and touch and he inspected her in ways that would have shortened his life dramatically if her brothers ever found out.

His hand had been slow but insistently pulling the clips from her hair. The red curls bounced wildly into his hands, grateful for their freedom.

His hand curved to her spine, raising all the little hairs on the back of her neck. The pressure of his hand, inched her forward. Her skirt shortened as she straddled his lap. He let her remove his glasses and he blinked at his fuzzy surroundings. His hands moved to either side of her, sliding the fabric off her shoulders.

He kissed the blush that stained her shoulders. His fingers shoving aside the narrow strip of blue cotton that interrupted her skin. He nipped at her collarbone, one hand caressing the fallen straps against her arms.

She tugged his shirt from the waist band of his jeans and he reciprocated with her blouse.

He laid back and rolled bringing her underneath him. He traced her hairline, placing kisses every few moments. He bent kissing the hollow at her throat, he moved down. He kissed the stomach that hopefully one day would house his children. She squirmed and laughed in response, he moved his hands up, it was then he felt something on her arm.

'A nail mark maybe?' He fumbled for his glasses, she reached away from him. His dark expression was enough for her to stop, unaware of what was making his eyes so stormy. He had seen this mark before of that he was sure. It had to be infused with something, the last he had seen of it had been several months ago and yet it still looked angry and new.

During one of these rare moments, he talked and asked her for the first time about her past. "Gin, where'd you get that scar from?" She pushed his hands away," I don't know, accident." she shrugged.

She sat up and Harry reluctantly moved off her. She stood up, covered in a pale blue bra and black skirt. She reached for her blouse, roughly putting it back on, "Harry, they'll be back soon."

He held her back, his arms wrapping around her. "It couldn't have been an accident. I saw this mark a while ago, it looks exactly the same." he answered. Ginny rubbed her arm, "I don't know then. I've had it for sometime." she replied.

"How long have you had it?" he let go, annoyed by her obvious ignorance. "I don't know, Harry. Why is it so bloody important. Just let it go, ok!" Ginny began gathering masses of her hair and clipping it, her back to Harry.

He studied her attitude, she was hiding something and he didn't like it. "You can tell me, I'm not going to get angry or anything." he said wanting to bite his tongue the moment the words left his mouth. "Oh, well since you give me permission, who the blazes do you think you are?" she shouted, whirling on him.

"That's not what I meant," he interrupted, his hands raised in defense. "What did you mean then. Go on." her hands had gone to her hips, her stance channeling her mother. "I meant, you're my mine…" at her thunderous expression he backtracked. "You're my girlfriend, I just worry when mysterious marks show up and …that's all." he whispered.

"Get this straight, Mr. Potter. I am not your property and for how well you know my body, you have not had the full scope of it all. So for all you know, I…" Ginny shut her mouth, her hands balled up and staring at Harry in horror.

"What exactly wouldn't I know, Miss Weasley?" he asked his tone dangerously smooth. "Never mind we better leave." she shakily replied, pulling her shoes on and stepping towards the door.

Harry eyed her, **'What did she mean? as far as I know?' **He abruptly turned her, his green eyes pining her to the door. "What are you not telling, huh?" he asked. His face was inches from hers, his arms effectively trapping her against the door. "What deep dark secret can you have. Ginevra." he muttered. He watched her face pale, she shook her head, "Tom…".

Harry felt the black bubble of hate stir inside. He reared back, his hand pounded on the door behind her making her jump.

Her look of terror undid him, he fell to the floor ashamed. He saw her kneel but flinched angrily at her voice. "Harry…I'm so sorry." she breathed. He looked up to those chocolate brown eyes, saw his own turbulent green reflected in their depths. "Do you…?" he swallowed the painful question, he didn't think he could handle the answer.

"I have no control over it." she hiccupped, fat tears dripping down her face. "You are mine, Gin." he cupped her face, sliding his hand against those pretty little freckles. "Harry." she began but he interrupted her. "No! You are mine. The moment I saw you running after that train." she gasped.

He gripped her shoulders, his nails marking her skin, "The moment I saw you laying on that Chamber floor, the moment." Harry spit the word, " He told me off how he had persuaded you." Ginny hid her face away from him, her sobs echoing in his ears. "When he described how he made you …how he…" he could not say it. If he said it, it would be true. "Listen, you are only mine and nobody else's no matter what happens," he took a deep calming breath.

"You remember that, just like I belong to you." He took her in his arms, her sadness sending tremors through his body. He saw his fingerprints on her, mirroring the one he had noticed before. **'That bastard, he marked her.' **The reality hit him, visions of Tom's hands on her very young self.

Another more disgusting thought, **'he had said she had enjoyed it. Did she? What had she done?' **When he had handled her roughly, she had called out the other's name. Harry looked at her, a new light shinning on her. **'What else had she kept from me.' **

He stood up, not able to tolerate her so close. His jealousy was eating at him, throwing all sorts of suspicions on her. He could not handle this betrayal from her. Anybody but her, she looked fearfully at him.

Instant guilt crashed with his other emotions, he had never meant for her to be afraid of him. He could not trust himself if what he thought had even a speck of truth.

If she had willingly fallen with Riddle could he walk away from her, more importantly, would he want to?

to be continued...


	2. Guilt and Remorse

**Sorry it's been so long since I've updated anything. I've been so tired lately.**

**Anyway this one is proving to be the darkest I've written. So just a heads up!**

**It will get darker.**

**Enjoy...Reviews welcome but so are flames. I enjoy the pain (I'm weird that way. Ha!)**

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**Almost One Year Later**

_"Well that was a bit stupid…" the phrase floated in his mind. "Seeing as you don't know anyone but me…" Her lying there, "Bit stupid… who's been possessed by him…"_

_"It was me," her tear stained cheeks. "It was Riddle, he made me…" her face scarlet in realization of her elbow being in the butter dish._

_"Bit stupid and I can tell you how it feels." said Ginny angrily. "I can tell you…it feels…" Her earnest face, "I…brought you a card… Tell you…possessed by him feels…feels."_

_These words echoed in his mind reliving his most painful memories. Voldermort's voice coiled and gripped his heart, twisting and pulling each memory apart, "Mine first…does it feel? Does she remember me…?"_

_"I'm sorry" Harry said, and he meant it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." he shouted, slamming himself against the ground, anything to get away. "Harry, you're hurt…" clutching her robes, "I didn't mean to…"_

_"You're too young," he shouted, "I'm older than you were when you went to get the Sorcerer's Stone." Her face full of terror and blind to what she was riding._

_"Let's torture the little one." Bellatrix's face was leering at him as he placed himself before Ginny. Her hand squeezed his arm, reassuring him, placing her trust in him._

_"Harry…" she breathed, her ankle broken. "Luna, were the last of…" the spell knocking her backwards against the stone, her body slumping to the side. "You couldn't protect her, not then and not now." it whispered poisoning his resolve. "I did, I saved her…" he whimpered._

_Spells whooshing over her hair, "I tried…I tried." It was taking over abusing him, taunting him. How would he ever laugh again? Many were dead and surely more would die for him if this war came._

_"Aaaahhhhh," he shouted and shifted towards Dumbledore, begging for release from the fire burning him from the inside out. "Kill the boy, put him out his misery. Dumbledore kneeled, his wizened hands attempting to comfort the screaming boy._

_Dean with her, kissing her. So many had tried to take her from him. Standing between her and Ron, protecting her from his best friend._

_He snapped his head back and forth. His mouth wide open and tears leaking from the corner of his eyes. Suddenly, there was a flame. A spark of something that was wiggling its way past his pain._

_Bushy brown hair in his face and a grinning freckled face shouting, "Let him breath Hermione." Purple hair morphing and changing into long red hair. Her face shifting for her amusement. For her, for Ginny._

_Images of her sliding like a kaleidoscope, leaning against a door. The look between them. Coughing as dust flew everywhere, jumping after pixies. Her slamming the lid closed of the strange music box. Yelling at him because he was a prat. Playing on the floor with Crookshanks. Sirius and her laughing at something and glancing at him._

_"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that…"_

_Her blazing look as she launched herself into his arms and he kissed her in full view of a_ _packed Gryffindor common room. Her warm hand as it pulled him from his beloved headmaster's broken body._

_"You're gonna be noble…." Her room in front of her window, "Happy Birthday."_

_Her lips once more pressed to his… Her at the dance floor in her yellow dress._

_He broke and Voldermort retreated banished by Dumbledore. His head throbbed but the marble was cool, he'd be all right for now. They were all safe, they were all ok._

"Harry! Harry! Wake up, we have to move camp." Harry flung the hand away. His blankets were roughly pulled from him. Grumbling he opened one eye but everything was blurry as usual. Once armed with his glasses he yawned and stretched the way only a boy could.

Hermione saw that he was awake and began packing up their meager belongings. The images of the dream were still vivid. Sadness enveloped him as he remembered that Dumbledore was not with him and in fact had been dead for almost a year.

The knowledge sullied his mood destroying whatever good feeling had resided with him.

"Harry let me take the locket." Hermione offered later that day. She had picked up on his surliness and was sick of it. She fought back tears as recalled how Ron had struggled with it as well.

He looked down in surprise; he'd been wearing it for two days straight. His nightmares had always been so bad he had not realized they had gotten worse and so he had completely forgotten he had it on. "I can carry it don't worry about it."

They sat outside taking advantage of the warm day. He played with the locket turning it over in his hands."I'm sure she misses you." Hermione said.

In anger he yanked the locket from his neck and threw it at his feet. "I guess. Didn't seem like it at the wedding." He poked at the dirt with a stick, drawing a map of Hogwarts. He placed a pebble near his trainer and circled it. "Why can't I protect her?"

Hermione didn't know what to say. Harry was never this talkative but maybe since Ron wasn't here he probably felt he could open up to her. "For the same reason she can't protect you. We all have a part in this war and we can't afford to be selfish no matter how much we want to be."

Harry admired his friends not just for sticking by him but for abadoning their families for him. Ginny was already outside of his reach because of his role in this. It was no sacrifice if he had nobody else to lose.

If he died it would be no great loss. At least Ron and Hermione would have each other.

"He'll be back, Herm. They're both stubborn like that." He replied and they laughed for the first time since they had to flee 12 Grimmauld Place, since Ron had left.


	3. Understanding

**Darn Riddle... and his evil plot bunnies. The Darkness continues.**

**Enjoy. Well maybe not!**

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Weeks passed but Harry's dreams made for restless nights. He had taken to opening the flap of their tent and staring at the sky. He wondered if she was counting stars or is she was asleep dreaming. The marauder's map was never far from him and kept a constant vigil over her name.

Their fight was forefront in his dreams as well. It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the jealousy that spawned the nightmares infused with images from his second year. Where he stood frozen, saw how Riddle possessed her. How she gave in and sent him away telling him she didn't want to be saved.

This night was brutal and he gasped, "Hermione, Hermione?" **'She must not have heard me.' **He crawled from his bed. Harry nudged her and she rolled to her side facing him. "Hermione it's important."

"What," she yawned. "Is it your scar? Did you see something? Is it Ron? What is it?" Now fully awake she prodded the embarrassed boy sitting by her bed. "Harry, what's the matter. Say something."

"Did she ever tell you about second year?" Harry asked, his anguish obvious.

Dumbfounded Hermione thought back, she sat indian style on the floor next to him. "She apologized to me and she said you saved her but nothing more than that, why?"

"Riddle left a mark on her. I mean…I think…what if she is a Horcrux?" Harry blurted not content to sit, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I doubt that. Dumbledore told you that He Who Must Not Be Named used only objects significant to his past. Ginny was just an opportunity. I don't think she was important to him per say." Hermione concluded.

"I know I said that but what if I'm wrong. I mean he." He blinked removing and cleaning his glasses to avoid looking at her.

Hermione took in the shock of raven hair contrasting the much too pale features of his face. "Are you wearing the locket?" She asked thinking, **'He hasn't been sleeping.'**

His glare was much more intense without the barrier of his glasses. "So what if I am, that doesn't mean that it isn't a legitimate concern. If it were Ron I was concerned about, would you ask me the same question?"

"Of course I would. I just wondered because what you are saying doesn't make sense. Ginny is important to you not him." Hermione finished softly.

Unwilling to stay still he got up. He paced anxiously but whirled about, a feverish light in his eyes. Hermione shifted back alarmed. "Harry, I don't know what to tell you. If you just explain to me…"

"He took her." He said. Hermione looked at him in confusion. "I know but he let her go. What's..."

Harry interrupted her, "He took her. Down in the chamber, she was his down in the chamber." Harry emphasized. Hermione's face froze, her mouth dropped open in shock.

"You mean." The thought was so repulsive and so wrong that both occupants stayed rooted to the spot. "Oh, Harry." She jumped up from her sitting position, standing in front of him awkwardly. "I'm so sorry. Poor Ginny, all this time, no wonder she cries at night. It must be so difficult to forget."

"That's the rub of it." Harry began. "She hasn't forgotten but maybe not for the reason you think."

"Harry James Potter, that's a horrible thing to say. Explain yourself before I hex you." She snapped smacking his arm with her wand.

It felt good to be unburdened. To be able to tell this ridiculous fear to someone else instead of holding inside and spreading like a cancer. He wearily told her about Riddle. How he was so much like Harry, at least physically.

"I never thought of that. I never thought about what he might have looked like at our age." Hermione pondered.

Harry told her about reaching Ginny and seeing how possessive Riddle was of her. How he bragged that he had persuaded her and that she had enjoyed it every step of the way. How she had written to Riddle and confided all her dirty secrets.

The bizarre and powerful emotions it had made Harry feel and how satisfying it had been to watch Riddle be destroyed. To see Ginny come to and say his name, Harry.

"How interesting that you already felt love and jealousy and didn't even know what it was." She wanted to take notes but that was probably a bad idea right now.

He continued ignoring her observations. "A few weeks when we were in the burrow before the wedding we snuck away. Hermione, she still has these marks on her body. They fade but they seem to come back. I asked her what they were and she got so angry and I lost it."

Hermione refrained from asking where and how Harry had a chance to see Ginny's body without her brother's not finding out about it. Especially Ron, who though dense most of the time was practically clairvoyant when it came to his little sister and boys. "What happened?" she asked. "You didn't use magic, did you?"

"I would never use magic against her but she wouldn't look me in the eye. I scared her. I punched the door behind her." He cringed at the reproach in Hermione's face, "All I wanted was a straight answer. I can't change second year but I would like to get rid of whatever still haunts her."

Hermione regarded him thoughtfully, "Would you forgive her if she told you she was in love with Riddle and was taken in by him? Could you accept that and still love her without wanting her to tell you everything that happened to her?"

"I don't know. I would like to think so but."

She stopped him. "You're worried that she compares you to him and that he'll always have a part of her." Hermione finished for him.

"Yeah, I don't have it in me to ask her. I don't want to cause her more pain. If I find out the truth I won't stop caring about her but I don't want darkness between us."

"I think there already is, Harry. You need to decide what's more important, what happened in the past that you can't change or the future you guys can have together." She grabbed the locket from him and placed it around her own neck. "Sleep on it and I'm sure tomorrow you'll know what to do. I'll take this from you tonight." She kissed his forehead and went outside.

"Herm?" She paused at the tent entrance. "Thanks."

Over the next weeks so many things happened. Visiting Godric's Hollow. The fight at the Malfoy Manor and the heart draining of Dobby's funeral. The finished plot and escape from Gringotts, that their conversation fell to the back of his mind.

And only when he was in the midst of planning an attack and Ginny climbed into the Room of Requirement did he allow it to resurface.

His heart jumped. He knew then that their battle was just beginning and he was not prepared to give up and lose her.


End file.
